Difference Between Cheque and Bill of Exchange

A lot of business activities are going on round the clock in all parts of the world. All business activities involve exchange of goods and services. These goods and services are sold for cash or on credit. In daily life, it is impractical to issue Cheques for all the transactions that we carry out and as such we make use of either cash or use our credit cards to make payments at cinema halls, restaurants or when buying something from the market. But when it comes to receiving payment for the service that we render to our employer or our client, we tend to receive money in the form of Cheques that are cashed when we present them in our banks. It is impractical to give or receive huge sums of cash which is why people prefer to give or receive Cheques. In practice, businessmen make use of documents called negotiable instruments to give and receive money. Cheques and bills of exchange are examples of these negotiable instruments. In this article we will attempt to find out differences between these two types of documents; Cheques and bills of exchange.

Bill of exchange is another important type of negotiable instrument that is used to make or receive payments in businesses. Let us understand it through an example. Let us assume Tom has given a loan of $1000 to John. But Tom has to make a payment of $1000 to Roger from whom he has either taken goods or services. If Tom does not have cash, he can issue a document directing John to make a payment of $1000 to Roger whenever Roger demands or after the expiry of a period. This document is referred to as a bill of exchange which can be further transferred.

In brief:

Cheque vs Bill of Exchange

• While a Cheque can only be drawn on a banker, a bill of exchange can be drawn on any party or individual.

• There is no need for acceptance in case of a Cheque but a bill of exchange must be accepted before the drawee can be made liable upon it.

• While there is no grace period in the case of a Cheque and it must be paid immediately by the banker, there is usually a grace period of 2-3 days in the case of a bill of exchange.

• A Cheque is either crossed or uncrossed while there is no such requirement in a bill of exchange.

• In the case of a bounced Cheque, notice of dishonor is not necessary but it is a must in case of bill of exchange.

• A Cheque needs no stamp but it is necessary in case of bill of exchange.

• You can stop payment in case of a Cheque but it is not possible in case of a bill of exchange.